Currently peanuts are widely manufactured across the globe using known technologies (i.e. frying, roasting, etc.) to reduce their moisture from typically 5-10 wt % to 1-3 wt %, which then are flavored in order to have a ready to eat product. It is well known to produce snack foods from nuts and legumes. Typical known production processes for nuts, such as peanuts, cashew nuts and almonds, and legumes, such as beans and chickpeas, include blanching of the nuts/legumes, removal of any skin, coating of the nuts/legumes with a flavour coating, and then frying or oven roasting, and possibly final flavour addition. Accordingly, all added value to the nut/legume product is dependent upon the selection of the applied flavouring or coating, or the selection of the nut or legume grade.
Peanuts can be pre-treated before processing in order to enhance their attributes, such as: texture, appearance, flavor & color; some of these treatments are disclosed in WO-A-2013/072387 which discloses hydrating and marinating nuts and legumes to introduce flavour and texture into the nuts and legumes following the subsequent cooking step. The entire disclosures of WO-A-2013/072387 are incorporated herein by reference thereto.
Changes in appearance are mentioned in WO-A-2013/072387 such as surface blistering and changes in color. However there is still a need in the art to provide enhanced changes to nuts and legumes which are attractive to the consumer.